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"No," said Sinang, "drink some coffee to bring merry thoughts." "I will, at once, because I feel a trifle sad." "Don't do that," advised Aunt Isabel. "Drink some tea and eat a few crackers. They say that tea calms one's thoughts." "I'll also take some tea and crackers," answered the complaisant youth, "since fortunately none of these drinks is Catholicism." "But, can you " Victoria began.
"It's to be given to the one who has received the worst answer." "To me, then, to me!" cried Sinang. Ibarra gave her the other piece of the telegram and hastily withdrew. "What does it mean?" she asked, but the happy youth was already at a distance, returning to the game of chess. Fray Salvi in abstracted mood approached the circle of young people.
He must be made to obey while he's only engaged, for after he's your husband he'll do as he pleases," counseled little Sinang. "What do you know about that, child?" her cousin Victoria corrected her. "Sst! Keep quiet, for here they come!" A group of young men, lighting their way with large bamboo torches, now came up, marching gravely along to the sound of a guitar.
"What has she to do with our merrymakings? I imagine she's raging! But just let the cholera come and you'd see her give a banquet." "But, Sinang!" again her cousin scolded. "I never was able to endure her and especially since she disturbed our picnic with her civil-guards. If I were the Archbishop I'd marry Her to Padre Salvi then think what children!
"Take care. I don't want you to tell it." "I have no desire to!" replied Sinang, sticking up her nose. "If it were something more important, I would tell it to my friends. But to buy cocoanuts! cocoanuts! Who is interested in cocoanuts?" And she went away in haste to find her girl friends. A few moments afterward, Ibarra seeing that the conversation was lagging, took leave of the gathering.
"In this boat here the women, and in the other there the men," ordered the mothers upon embarking. "Keep quiet! Don't move about so or we'll be upset." "Cross yourself first," advised Aunt Isabel, setting the example. "Are we to be here all alone?" asked Sinang with a grimace. "Ourselves alone?" This question was opportunely answered by a pinch from her mother.
"To ask it is enough to deserve such an answer." "You ask a question," they said to Ibarra, offering him the wheel. "We're decided that whoever gets the best answer shall receive a present from the rest. Each of us has already had a question." "Who got the best answer?" "Maria Clara, Maria Clara!" replied Sinang.
But Maria Clara colored up, and, putting her hands over Sinang's mouth, did not allow her to finish what she had to say. "Then, let me try it," said Crisostomo, smiling. He asked the question: "Will I succeed in my present undertaking?" "You are going to get a bad answer," exclaimed Sinang.
But he had succeeded in convincing no one, even though he cited the Romans. After drinking the chocolate our young people had to listen to piano-playing by the town organist. "When I listen to him in the church," exclaimed Sinang, pointing to the organist, "I want to dance, and now that he's playing here I feel like praying, so I'm going out with you."
He is a large fellow; his body measures a palm or more in width." "What shall be done?" was the question. "Catch him," said one. "Jesús! And who will catch him?" Nobody offered to dive down to the bottom of the rack. The water was very deep. "We ought to tie him to our banca and drag him along in triumph," said Sinang. "The idea of his eating the fish which we ought to have!"
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